Jane Han is the North America editor for The Korea Times. Based in Seattle, she has covered business, culture and social issues across the United States for over 15 years. She previously worked at The Boston Globe.
Trump gifts baseball set to President Lee
This photo, provided by the presidential office, shows a baseball bat and ball gifted by U.S. President Donald Trump to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during their summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Yonhap
By Jane Han
U.S. President Donald Trump found a sporty way to return a royal gesture. Following his receipt of a Silla gold crown replica, he reportedly presented South Korean President Lee Jae Myung with a baseball bat and ball, chosen to honor the shared history of a game first introduced to Korea by American missionaries.
According to government officials, Thursday, the gift set included a baseball bat signed by Dylan Crews, an outfielder for the Washington Nationals, and a baseball imprinted with Trump’s presidential seal. The Nationals are based in Washington, home to the White House.
U.S. officials said the gift was meant to celebrate “the deep cultural ties and shared values between the United States and South Korea,” noting baseball’s role as a symbol of the nations’ long-standing friendship.
Trump appeared pleased with the gifts he received from Seoul. After the summit in Gyeongju, he reportedly instructed aides to load both the gold crown replica and the Grand Order of Mugunghwa medal onto Air Force One before departing for Washington following a U.S.–China meeting the same day.
A South Korean government source said Trump seemed eager to take the items home rather than have them delivered later through diplomatic channels. “According to U.S. officials, President Trump has already picked a place in the Oval Office to display the crown and the medal,” the official said.